Objectives

Improve the overall quality of state institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adopt accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework.

Usher transformative reforms in the state higher education system by creating a facilitating institutional structure for planning and monitoring at the state level, promoting autonomy in State Universities and improving governance in institutions.

Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems.

Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and ensure capacity building at all levels of employment.

Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovations.

Expand the institutional base by creating additional capacity in existing institutions and establishing new institutions, in order to achieve enrolment targets.

Major impact and Targets

RUSA seeks to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio of the country to 30% by 2020

It also seeks to increase the spending on higher education by the State Governments.

The scheme, in its 2nd phase (2017 - 2020), aims at creation of 70 new model degree colleges and 8 new professional colleges; Enhancing quality and Excellence in 10 select State universities and 70 autonomous colleges, providing infrastructural support to 50 universities and 750 colleges etc.

To identity and fill up the existing gaps in higher education, by augmenting and supporting the State Governments' efforts.

Promote a spirit of healthy competition amongst states and institutions to excel in quality higher education, research and innovation.

Components

RUSA would create new universities through upgradation of existing autonomous colleges and conversion of colleges in a cluster. It would create new model degree colleges, new professional colleges and provide infrastructural support to universities and colleges. Faculty recruitment support, faculty improvements programmes and leadership development of educational administrators are also an important part of the scheme. In order to enhance skill development the existing central scheme of Polytechnics has been subsumed within RUSA. A separate component to synergise vocational education with higher education has also been included in RUSA. Besides these, RUSA also supports reforming, restructuring and building capacity of institutions in participating state.

The following are the primary components of RUSA that capture the key action and funding areas that must be pursued for the fulfilment of the targets:

Creation of Universities by way of upgradation of existing autonomous colleges

Creation of Universities by conversion of colleges in a cluster

Infrastructure grants to Universities

Enhancing Quality and Excellence in select State Universities

New Model Colleges (General)

Upgradation of existing degree colleges to model colleges

New Colleges (Professional)

Enhancing Quality and Excellence in Autonomous colleges

Infrastructure grants to Colleges

Research, innovation and quality improvement

Equity initiatives

Faculty Recruitment Support

Faculty improvements

Institutional Restructuring, Capacity Building and Reforms

National Higher Education Resource Centre

Financial outlay

A financial outlay of Rs 7100 crores has been earmarked for 3 years beginning 2017-18 to 2019-20. The project cost in the public funded institutions for all sub-components is shared between the Central Government and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 60:40 for other States and UTs with Legislature and 100:0 for UTs without Legislature.

The funding would flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions. The funding to states would be made on the basis of critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would describe each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.